INS ARIHANT 

1. Context 

• The SLBM was launched from the country's first indigenous Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarine INS Arihant.
• The MoD said the test is significant for the nuclear ballistic submarine or SSBN, programme, which is a crucial element of India's nuclear deterrence capability.
• The Missile was tested to a predetermined range and impacted the target area in the Bay of Bengal with very high accuracy.
• All operational and technological parameters of the weapon system have been validated.
• The Ministry described the test as a user training launch.
• The successful user training launch of the SLBM by INS Arihant is significant to prove crew competency and validate the SSBN programme.
• A robust, survivable and assured retaliatory capability is in keeping with India's policy to have "credible minimum deterrence" that underpins its "No first use commitment".
• There is no official confirmation of the specifications and range of the missile.

3. The Submarine

• Launched in 2009 and Commissioned in 2016, INS Arihant is India's first indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile capable submarine built under the secretive Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) Project, which was initiated in the 1990s.
• INS Arihant and its class of submarines are classified as "SSBN", which is the hull classification symbol for nuclear-powered ballistic missile-carrying submarines.
• While the Navy operates the vessel, the operations of the SLBMs from the SSBN are under the purview of India's Strategic Forces Command, which is part of India's Nuclear Command Authority.

• India has achieved completion of the nuclear triad with the first successful deterrence patrol by INS Arihant.
• This places India in the league of the few countries that can design, construct and operate Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarines (SSBN).
• The second submarine in the Arihant class, SSBN Arighat, is reported to have been launched in 2017 and is said to be undergoing sea trials at present.
• In addition, India operates 15 conventional diesel-electric submarines (classified as SSK) and some more are on the way.

4. The Missile

• The Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SSBMs), sometimes called the "K" family of missiles, have been indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The family is codenamed after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the Central figure in India's missile and space programmes who also served as the 11th President of India.
• Because these missiles are to be launched from submarines, they are lighter, more compact and stealthier than their land-based counterparts, the Agni series of missiles which are medium and intercontinental-range nuclear-capable ballistic assets.

5. K-family missiles

• The development of the K-family missiles has been done in consonance with the ATV project.
• Part of the K family is the SLBM K-15, which is also called B-05 or Sagarika. It has a range of 750 km.
• INS Arihant can carry a dozen K-15 missiles on board.
• India has also developed and successfully tested K-4 missiles from the family, which have a range of 3, 500 km.
• In January 2020, two successful tests of the K-4 missile were conducted from submerged platforms, off the coast of Andhra Pradesh within six days.
• These tests were a key step towards ultimately deploying K-4s on the INS Arihant.
• It is also reported that more members of the K- family reportedly carrying the code names K-5 and K-6, with a range of 5, 000 km and 6, 000 km respectively are under development.

6. The Strategic Significance

• The capability of being able to launch nuclear weapons submarine platforms has great strategic significance in the context of achieving a nuclear triad, especially in the light of the "No First Use" policy of India.
• The sea-based underwater nuclear-capable assets significantly increase the second strike capability and thus validate nuclear deterrence.
• These submarines can not only survive the first strike by the adversary but can also launch a strike in retaliation, thus achieving "Credible Nuclear Deterrence".

7. India's relations with China and Pakistan

• The development of these capabilities is important in light of India's relations with China and Pakistan.
• With China having deployed many of its submarines, including some that are nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable, India's capacity building on the nuclear-powered submarines and the nuclear-capable missile which can be launched from them, is crucial for nuclear deterrence.

7.1 PLA Navy

• The PLA Navy currently operates six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), six nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) and 46 diesel-powered attack submarines (SSs).
• The PLAN will likely maintain between 65 and 70 submarines through the 2020s, replacing older units with more capable units on a nearly one-to-one basis.

7.2 Pakistan Navy

8. The Posture

• MoD statement after launch from Arihant stressed the strategic postures of "credible minimum deterrence and "no first use" which are pivotal to India's nuclear doctrine, made public in January 2003, after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had reviewed the progress in operationalizing of India's nuclear doctrine.

9. India's nuclear doctrine

• The key points in the doctrine made public at the time were: Building and maintaining a credible minimum deterrent,
• A posture of "no first use" denoting that the nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian territory or Indian forces anywhere and that nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to "inflict unacceptable damage".
• The doctrine says that nuclear retaliation attacks can only be authorised by the civilian political leadership through the Nuclear Command Authority.
• However, at the time, the Cabinet Committee on Security had also reviewed and approved the arrangements for alternate chains of command for retaliatory nuclear strikes in all eventualities.

For Prelims & Mains